1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure of an automotive bumper disposed at a front end or at a rear end of a vehicle and more particularly to a bumper structure having protector means at left and right ends of a bumper beam.
2. Discussion of Related Arts
Generally, a vehicle has a bumper at front and rear ends thereof, respectively. As illustrated in FIG. 6, a well known bumper has a transversely elongated hollow bumper beam 11 and a pair of left and right stays 12 supporting the bumper beam 11 on a body side and secured to a vehicle body. The bumper beam has an energy absorbing foam on an outer surface thereof or on an opposite side of the bumper beam 11 with respect to the vehicle body and the energy absorbing foam is covered on an outer surface thereof with a fascia.
The bumper beam 11 has an overhang portion 13 outwardly extending from respective stays to left and right. Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the bumper beam 11 is bent inwardly at a connecting portion of the bumper beam 11 and the stay 12 and the overhang portion 13 is slanted toward the vehicle body. As a result, when a corner section of the vehicle abuts against an obstacle, an impact load exerted on the vehicle can be efficiently received at the overhang portion 13 of the bumper beam 11.
However, in the aforesaid automotive bumper structure, since the bumper beam is inwardly bent in consideration of collisions of corner sections of the vehicle with obstacles, the bumper beam structure has disadvantages in a moldability of the bumper beam and manufacturing cost of the vehicle. Further, the bumper structure has a restriction in a bending configuration of the bumper beam from the view point of the moldability of the bumper beam and a requirement of collision performances of the vehicle. As a result, freedom of molding of the fascia is also restricted and the bumper beam of the prior art is disadvantageous aerodynamically and aesthetically.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an automotive bumper structure capable of reducing manufacturing cost of a vehicle and of enlarging a freedom of molding a fascia without exacerbating collision performances of the vehicle.
In order to achieve an object, the automotive bumper structure comprises a bumper beam extending in a widthwise direction of the vehicle, a pair of left and right stays fixed to a body of the vehicle for supporting the bumper beam at each end portion of the bumper beam and a pair of left and right protector means provided at the end portion of the bumper beam for protecting an opposite side of the end portion of the bumper beam with respect to the vehicle. For example, the protector means include a beam protection section extending in a lengthwise direction of the vehicle outside of the end portion of the bumper beam and a bracket section integrally connected with the beam protection section and extending in the widthwise direction of the vehicle and fastening means for fastening the bumper beam to the body of the vehicle together with the bracket section.